Question on upgrading lathe

[Rick Mills]

I used a Rikon 70-100 for about a year and a half and love it, probably made over 500 pens and hundreds of other items, bowls etc. I upgraded to a larger lathe the laguna 18-47, so i have the variable speed, more power, and I can make larger diameter items.

Both machines have a #2 morse taper so I can use many of the same parts but the threads are different. Rikon is 8x1 TPI and the 18/47 is 8x1.25 TPI.

I currently have the nova G3 self centering chuck as well as another smaller chuck 8x1 TPI only.

I have 3 options and not sure which is the best.

Wait till I can afford one and get a new chuck larger for the new lathe and keep the other two for my rikon which i will normally use only for buffing now.

Packard has an adapter for around $50 that will convert my new lathe to 8x1. If I get that I can use both chucks and my smaller faceplate on the new lathe, but they say there is some "turnout" when you use the adapter. I'm not sure what turnout is but I would guess they mean it may be slightly out of round due to the imperfections of using the adapter.

Or for under $30 I can get just an adapter for my g3 chuck to fit the new lathe, I will probably seldom if ever need a smaller faceplate or chuck for the new lathe, in gact the G3 is relatively small for that lathe anyway.

Or should I choose a 4th option you might suggest ?

Thanks

Rick

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Rick,

Why not this option:

1. Buy the adapter for the Nova G3 and use it on the new lathe. Note, you can always remove the adapter and use it on the old lathe if you so desire.

2. You can stll use the other smaller chuck on the old lathe.

3. Save your pennies and buy say a Nova SN2 for use on the new lathe.

The Nova jaws are interchangeable between the Nova chucks so having another Nova chuck would save money in buying jaws.

I bought the adapter and moved my SN2 from my Jet Mini VS to my PM3520B. I kept the original adapter so I could move it back if I desire to do so.

[Bill Bolen]

What Ken said! Also Woodcraft carries the Pinnacle brand of chuck adapter that will fit all the Nova chucks. They cost $5 and sure seem to run as true as the $30 Nova adapter. I have and use 3 and can tell no difference between the pinnacle and the Nova adapter....Bill...

[Rick Mills]

Those are excellent points, I will get the g3 adapter, but everyone including some people on this sight strongly recommend the vicmark. So I am looking closely at upgrading to the vicmark when I get a new chuck. I called the local woodcraft, they have the pinnicle brand jaw adapter insert, but it's about 80 miles round trip from my home. and I can not find it on their website . So it will costs me $25 in gas to save $20 on the adapter. I guess nothings easy.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Rick I have the Vicmarc VM 100. I really like it and it has done everything I have asked of it. I use it on my Nova DVR XP and just love it. I also found out the jaws fit the $99 Grizzly chuck. So I now have 3 of those in 1 1/4 X 8 so I don't have to keep changing jaws. The Griz chucks work extremely well.